A Kingdom Won
by CupcakeGal
Summary: "Let's take back the kingdom." Snow, Charming and the fight for their happy ending...a fairytale land tale.
1. A Curse Broken

**A Kingdom Won**

Summary: "Let's take back the kingdom." Snow, Charming and the fight for their happy ending...a fairytale land tale.

A/N: When I first was bitten by the OUAT bug, this was the story idea which prompted me to start writing again...the absolute need I had to know how Snow and Charming managed to end up apparently running King George's kingdom. And since it seems we have to wait til next season to find out, I decided to write my own version. It's taken me awhile to sort out enough of the details in my head to feel confident enough to start posting, but here it finally is. Feedback would be much appreciated and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have as long as they don't give away any salient plot points ;) I'm aiming at updating at least once a week, my real life responsibilities permitting.

So saddle those horses, this is going to be one epic, bumpy ride...I hope!

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters plus any recognisable dialogue and/or scenes belong to ABC...all I own are their mini versions living in my head, clamouring for their unknown stories to be told...

* * *

**Preface **

"_No!"_

_The despairing cry echoed across the throne room, torn from her throat with violent force. The whole world seemed to still as weakened fingers let the sword slip from their grasp, the weapon crashing forgotten to the ground. Its owner followed seconds later, body sliding down in ungainly fashion, a crimson puddle spreading unchecked beneath them._

_She raced across the short expanse, heart frozen in her chest, breath held in horror. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening, this wasn't happening! She stumbled on the now blood-slickened tiles, knees colliding with the floor next to his broken form. Pale trembling hands reached out uncertainly, not knowing where to go, what to do. As fingertips reached out for the arch of his neck, desperately seeking the small rhythm of life beneath his skin, a shadow fell across her._

_Raising her head, she looked at the perpetrator with tear-soaked eyes, waiting for them to deal the final blow..._

* * *

**Chapter One – A Curse Broken**

**Three Months Earlier**

_Please let her be alright, please let me be there in time..._

The mantra repeated over and over in James' head as he raced across the realm; through forests and lakes, never slowing down for even an instant, unheeding of the fatigue settling into his bones. The sky grew ever darker, gentle flakes of snow beginning to fall from the heavens as the ring he held tightly upon the smallest finger of his left hand paradoxically grew ever brighter. As his steed thundered toward the location of his beloved Snow, James found himself replaying their history in his mind, trying desperately not to allow the thought that his memories may be all he would ever have invade his consciousness. Focusing as hard as he was on fixing the image of his Snow's gentle smile in his mind, he almost missed the final brilliant flash from the ring as the forest ahead thinned and a gathering of people came into view. No, not people...dwarves. The strangeness of seeing a group of them standing with heads bowed around an object he could not yet see threw him for a moment, but he discarded that feeling as another, more powerful one washed over him...a sense of belonging he only felt whenever he was close to the woman who owned his heart completely.

Bringing his horse to a sudden halt, James threw himself out of the saddle and took hurried steps forward as a few of the dwarves turned towards him. The closest, with a wiry white beard and kind eyes hidden beneath a pair of glasses perched upon the end of his nose looked at him for a long moment, recognition flashing across his expression.

"You're too late," he said solemnly, turning around once more as his brethren parted to bring the hidden object into view. A large glass coffin, carved into the remnants of a fallen log sat before him, the glass shimmering in the weakened light filtering through the forest canopy. It was exquisitely built but it was not the workmanship which caused James' heart to stop, his breath catching in his throat. For within the coffin laid his Snow, hands crossed peacefully upon her lace-clad chest, her beautiful black hair fanned out beneath her.

"No," he breathed out, disbelief and sorrow colouring the word in equal measure, his feet carrying him forward of their own accord.

"No!" His voice was stronger now, as if the force of his denial would be enough to awaken him from this living nightmare, the vision of his love lying cold and still before him. James stopped at the head of the coffin, eyes fixed upon Snow's face. Her expression was peaceful, her lips still tinged with a healthy pink and he could almost imagine she was merely sleeping...if not for the utter stillness of her chest, the complete lack of any minute movement which would prove there was still life in her veins.

_It could not end this way...she could not be de..._

His mind rebelled at the thought of the word, even as his heart began to crumble into dust within his chest. His hands rested gently upon the glass, but it was not close enough...he needed to feel her skin beneath his, to know for sure her skin was devoid of the warmth of life, he needed...

"Open it," he commanded, needing to cling to that one small flicker of hope that perhaps all was not as it seemed, that perhaps she was not truly...

"I'm sorry, she's gone," the dark-bearded dwarf replied, grief lacing through his words.

That one small hope shattered into a thousand shards within his heart, each and every piece piercing through him, bringing sheer agony to every part of his being. His hand slipped down on the glass as his body sagged with the weight of his anguish, a tidal wave of sorrow which was too much for any one man to bear.

This was not meant to be their life...he had told her to have faith, that they would be together. He had envisioned a simple life, one away from the dangers and intrigues of their families' kingdoms...a life filled with small moments and happiness, of friends and family, of love...of children with their mother's eyes and smile. Now that was all gone, stolen by a woman with nothing but vengeance in her heart and with it, any chance he had of ever grasping happiness. He thought about that last conversation, of his plea with her to have faith, of the ache he had felt to hold her in his arms and not just be palm-to-palm against the mirror. Once more glass separated them, but this time he would not let it be...if this was to be his last moments with her, he would spend them with the feel of her skin beneath his touch, a small consolation to carry with him for the rest of his now meaningless existence.

With tears glistening within his eyes, James found the strength to raise his head and speak.

"At least let me say goodbye."

A moment of indecision passed before, in unison, the dwarves carefully lifted away the glass lid encasing his Snow. James' view of his love was now unobstructed and his heart wept at the sight, her beauty now tainted by the knowledge that his most favourite feature, her vivid soulful green eyes, would never again open to look upon him with love.

Dropping to one knee, hands resting on the edge of the coffin, James leaned forward to place a single tender kiss upon Snow's lips. In that one gesture he poured all of his love, his hopes, his dreams, knowing that he would never truly live again after this moment...that his soul would take flight with hers away from this realm and that all that would be left was an empty shell of a man waiting for absolution. But as his lips pressed against hers, he felt something...something powerful and pure ripple outwards, filling his veins with warmth. A small voice in the back of his mind started to whisper words said, words heard..._Behold the most powerful magic of all, true love...the only magic powerful enough to break any curse...all curses can be broken, have you tried true love's kiss?...so that's it then, true love's kiss will awaken her..._

Hope sprung anew in his shattered heart and he slowly pulled back, every fibre of his being wishing for a miracle...

_Please, please, please come back to me_

...one that was granted as he had only retreated mere inches away from Snow's lips when her eyes flew open and her breath expelled in a surprised gasp. Joy overtook him, washing through every corner of his soul and banishing completely any trace of sorrow in its wake. The grin which spread across his features was one of relief and happiness, the tears in his eyes falling for a completely different reason than they had been mere moments before. Below, Snow took in her surroundings with curious eyes, her gaze alighting on James' face.

"You," she whispered, memories and feelings flooding back, the darkness she had resided in receding in the face of the overwhelming love she felt for the man smiling down upon her, her Charming.

She lifted a hand to caress his stubbled cheek, the feeling of his skin convincing her this was no dream, no further torment created by her own mind. For his part, James could scarcely breathe with the emotions flying through him, the abrupt change in their tone throwing his equilibrium into turmoil...but it was a turmoil he welcomed as he gazed into Snow's beautiful green eyes.

"You found me," she continued, thumb still stroking across his cheek. His hand came up to gently run along her arm, reassuring himself with every touch of his fingers that she was truly alive before him.

"Did you ever doubt I would?"

The words were tinged with relief as he helped her to sit, hands supporting her still weakened form. A slightly mischievous glint entered her eye, her smile blinding in its sincerity.

"Truthfully?" she questioned, raising her hand to once again cup his face within it, "The glass coffin gave me pause."

His head shook slightly with silent laughter as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, knowing that his Snow was truly alright if she could find the humour in their current situation.

"Well you never have to worry, I will always find you," James vowed, silently promising himself that it was a vow he would never break.

Snow's heart skipped a beat at the absolute sincerity in her Charming's eyes, her skin tingling as his hand continued to stroke along the soft wave of her hair.

"Do you promise?"

"With all that I am," he responded, preparing to lean down and seal his vow with a kiss when a gruff voice interrupted, amusement lurking beneath its roughened tones.

"Aren't you two forgetting something?"

Both of their heads snapped up to find they had a captive audience, with expressions ranging from embarrassment to happiness displayed upon the assembled dwarves faces.

"Grumpy!" Snow exclaimed with delight, extricating herself from James's embrace and the coffin to wrap her arms around her friend in a tight hug. The dwarf in question froze for a moment before giving up his pretence of aloofness and hugged Snow back with equal force.

The other dwarves took that as a signal, as all of them piled around, forming one strange looking group hug which had James shaking his head in disbelief. They were all speaking at once, only small snippets making it coherently out of the cacophony of their voices.

"...missed you..."

"...thought you were dead..."

"...check to make sure that..."

"...we love *achoo* you..."

"...never do that to us again..."

"I promise, I promise," Snow laughed as they finally stepped back, happiness at her friends' show of affection etched into her face. She was so glad to be standing here amongst them, those she loved most. The dark visions she'd suffered through in her cursed sleep slipping from her memory like grains of sand through fingers. She should have known though...as long as she had her friends and her love, the Queen would never win.

"Are you going to introduce us?"

James was standing with his arms crossed and brow raised, questioning amusement sparkling in his eyes.

"Oh," she exclaimed as she realised they he had not yet truly met her new-found companions. Reaching out to link her hand with his, needing the familiarity of his touch to keep her grounded in the knowledge that she was truly awake, she gestured warmly towards the dwarves.

"Charming, I'd like you to meet Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful, Sneezy and Doc," Snow introduced, each dwarf acknowledging their name with a smile, nod or a tip of their hat, "They're the ones who took me in after I left you and they helped me in my rescue attempt, however unsuccessful it turned out to be."

Her voice trailed off slightly with her last comment and James squeezed her hand in reassurance, before untangling their hands so he could pull her closely to his side, wrapping his arm around her slim shoulders.

"Then I believe I owe all of you my gratitude, not just for attempting to save me but for looking out for Snow when I could not," James smiled, ignoring the small joking punch Snow aimed at his arm for the implication that she needed anyone to look out for her.

"It was our pleasure, we'd do *achoo* anything for Snow," replied Sneezy, rubbing his nose ruefully.

"And guys, this is James," she started, tilting her head upwards to look at him with a loving grin, "My Prince Charming."

She became lost in his eyes once more, the utter love she could see within their depths captivating her soul. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to remain pinned under that gaze for the rest of her life, held safe within the circle of his arms.

"Would the two of you like some privacy?" Grumpy gruffly interjected again, ignoring the look Happy sent his way.

Snow blushed lightly as she finally drew her gaze away from James' hypnotic eyes, the selfish part of her wanting to shout yes as she stepped out of his embrace.

"Perhaps we should give you a few moments," Doc offered backed up by Dopey's manic nodding, "We could take a short walk."

"Thank you for the offer," James acknowledged, "But perhaps it would be better if Snow and I were the ones to take our leave for awhile."

He held out his arm, bent at the elbow, in her direction.

"Would you care to take a walk with me?"

"I would love too," Snow replied, linking her arm through his, her head coming to rest against the soft velvet of his cloak.

They turned to set off, when a voice called them back.

"Wait!"

Behind them, Bashful was pulling something out of the bottom of the coffin...a beautifully embroidered white cloak, littered with tiny flowers which caught the sunlight. Taking a few steps, he offered it Snow with a shy smile.

"It's cold out here," he said softly, cheeks flushing as Snow took the cloak and placed a kiss on the side of his face in gratitude.

"Thank you."

With the cloak now settled around her form, the couple set off once more. They did not have a direction in mind, just content to walk, drinking in each other's presence. They had not truly had a chance to simply be in all the time they had known each other and they took the chance now to revel in the fact that they were together without any immediate threats looming over their shoulders.

James looked periodically down at his beloved, still marvelling that she was with him, living and breathing and so beautiful it made his heart ache. He never again wanted to be parted from her side; he wanted to be able to see her every single day for the rest of his life...and he knew exactly how to ensure that. His mother's ring still sat upon his left hand, its slight weight becoming heavier with every step he took, anticipation of the moment he had been dreaming of since the first moment he'd seen Snow as something more than a thief (albeit the most beautiful one he had ever laid eyes on).

The forest soon gave way to the rock-strewn shores of the lake which housed King George's palace, the imposing structure rising majestically in the distance...far enough away that James did not give it a second thought, content to keep his focus on the woman tucked against his side.

"How did you do it?"

Snow's quiet question interrupted the silence between them, and James seized the chance to enact that which his heart desperately desired.

"With this," he announced, pulling the ring of his finger and lifting it up into Snow's line of sight, gauging her reaction, "My mother's ring... It led me back to you."

She looked at in curiosity. It shone brilliantly in the sunlight and she remembered the first time she had seen it, at the ache she had felt at the knowledge that it would soon grace another's finger and not her own. For all of its splendour however, she wondered how it could have possibly led her Charming to her. She was about to ask that exact question when he pulled away from her, turning so that he blocked her path, her feet coming to a confused halt.

"And now...I never want it off your finger."

With a swish of his cloak, James dropped to one knee before her in one smooth movement, his eyes never leaving her own. The dawning realisation of what he intended to do flooded through her, excitement and shock and love creating a maelstrom of emotions in her suddenly rapidly beating heart.

For his part, James tried to suppress the nervousness which threatened to make his hands tremble. Though he knew Snow's love for him was true, there was still that small flicker of doubt as to what her answer would be...but there could be no answer without a question and James gathered all of the confidence and love within himself and let it fly free in one simple question.

"Will you marry me?"

He held up the ring in supplication, his entire body held on a knife's edge before he saw Snow's pale hand lift from her side with fingers stretched in invitation. He carefully slipped the ring onto her finger, his hand placing lingering touches upon her palm. She raised her hand slowly; delight sweeping through her as she admired the sparkling gem, sitting upon her finger as though it was always meant to belong there.

With a heartfelt smile she turned her attention back to James, still kneeling in anticipation upon the rocky ground.

"What do you think?"

A relieved yet ecstatic grin spread across his features at her words. He had barely begun to lift himself from the ground when her hands stretched out to pull him up the rest of the way to her waiting lips, sealing her answer with a loving kiss.

_His wife! She was going to be his wife, her, not Abigail...Abigail...King George..._

Reality intruded upon the bliss which had marked the last few minutes, thoughts streaming into her mind about the thousand obstacles they still faced. Yes they were together, but there were so many people around them who had seemingly made it their life's work to ensure that wasn't so.

She pulled back from the kiss, concern replacing the joy which had been etched into her features. James noticed the change in her expression instantly, worry spreading through him.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, hoping that her sudden change in mood had nothing to do with any doubts about the answer she had just given him.

"There's the little matter of your father and my step-mother," she explained and James nodded his head in realisation, inwardly relieved that her concern was about outside forces and not them.

"Ah, that," he acknowledged, mind racing with all of the implications their current situation created, implications he had pushed to one side in favour of revelling in his reunion with Snow. As he was thinking, so was she...thinking about the life she had led up to this moment, of the kingdom she had been forced to flee, the kingdom which was rightfully hers... and of James' kingdom, under the control of a King willing to kill his own son in order to ensure its future. They would never truly be free as long as the Queen and King George remained in a position to hunt them to the ends of every realm; they only way they could have their happy ending would be...

"I'm open to suggestions."

"Here's one," Snow started, hands resting against James' chest as she turned her head to gaze at the palace sitting imposingly in the middle of the lake, "Let's take back the kingdom."

He followed her gaze, eyes coming to rest on the place he had briefly called his home. A part of him wanted nothing more to do with that wretched place or with any remotely related to the position he had been forced to assume. But another part, the part which had actually enjoyed interacting with the populace, of being able to make a small difference in people's lives during the small time he'd carried the duties of Crown Prince, that part wanted to wrest the kingdom from the King's hands. He was not sure he would ever truly be fit to lead, but with Snow at his side he was sure he could at least rule with a kindness and understanding that the King would never be able to wield. And with that though firmly in his mind, he countered her suggestion with one question.

"How?"

"Like we shall do everything," Snow replied without hesitation, her attention once again directed towards him, "Together."

It was something she truly believed...perhaps the only thing she truly believed in; that together, she and James could overcome any obstacle in their path. After all, they had the most powerful force in all the realms on their side...true love.

James believed that too, but he also knew before he agreed there was something his betrothed (and oh, how glad he was that he could now apply that word to Snow) needed to know.

"Snow," he started, voice suddenly serious in a way that made her heart still in her chest, "I never want there to be secrets between us and in that spirit, there is something I need to tell you...something that might change your mind about reclaiming the kingdom...about me."

She remained silent, but her expression was encouraging, her hands lightly stroking against his chest in a gesture of comfort at his obvious distress.

"I'm not...I'm not who you think I am," he explained haltingly, before taking in a deep breath and unveiling the secret he'd kept from her since the moment they'd met.

"I'm not Prince James."


	2. A Secret Revealed

**A Kingdom Won**

Summary: "Let's take back the kingdom." Snow, Charming and the fight for their happy ending...a fairytale land tale.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourite...it never fails to bring a smile to my face! I hope this next instalment lives up to your expectations, and I'm happy to hear from you if it doesn't (or does, lol). On a side note, you may have noticed I changed the rating to 'T'...actually, that is what it was always supposed to be but in my excitement to get this story posted I must have accidently hit the wrong rating *oops!*. Also, this one is practically just one big conversation between Snow and James...dialogue is not my strong point, so I hope it reads ok!

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters plus any recognisable dialogue and/or scenes belong to ABC...all I own is a newly purchased hooped petticoat, a white satin corset and 10 white feather boas (do you see where I'm going with this?)...

* * *

**Chapter Two – A Secret Revealed**

"_I'm not Prince James."_

Snow's hands immediately dropped to her sides, her first instinct to take a step backwards in disbelief and confusion. James (or not James) did not protest the loss of contact, his eyes watching her warily as she retreated to the safety of her own mind to process his statement.

The words reverberated around her head endlessly, her mind trying to make sense of exactly what her Charming was telling her. For a moment she'd feared he would reveal himself to be nothing more than an illusion, a trick played on her by the Queen...a fake James who'd laugh at her and cruelly inform her that her true love was lying dead in the Queen's dungeons. But that thought had been only fleeting...she knew with bone-deep certainty that the man standing in front of her, the one who looked so very uncertain at her silence, was the same man who'd held her heart in his hands since the very first moment she'd looked up from the ground into his brilliant blue eyes. It was that knowledge which brought upon her a strange sense of calm; he was the one person in this realm that she trusted above all else and she knew whatever he meant, it was something they would deal with together.

A snatch of memory suddenly surfaced in her mind...a conversation with a spiteful king, an angered statement which she had previously discarded as the words of a man whose lust for power was so great that he could easily disown his own son just because he did not bow to his wishes.

_He is not my son._

For his part, James had been waiting anxiously for Snow's reaction to his words, the emotions flitting across her face in the moments after his statement changing too quickly for him to properly identify. Was she mad, upset, indifferent, accepting? He would have taken anger (he would deserve anger for his deception) if it just meant she would say _something..._something which would let him know that she was willing to listen to his explanation. However, a cryptic comment about not being someone's son was not what he was expecting and it prompted him to speak even though he had promised himself he would give her time to process his confession.

"What do you mean?"

Snow blinked at the question, and at the confused expression covering James' face before she realised she must have unintentionally spoken the words she had remembered aloud. Taking a moment to organise her thoughts, she drew in a deep breath then began to speak.

"When the king convinced me to lie to you about my feelings, I asked him how he could do that to his own son and he said you weren't...I did not know he meant that literally," Snow paused, before she looked at James right in the eyes and asked the foremost question on her mind, "Who are you?"

James let out a sigh of relief that she seemed willing to hear him out, his hands reaching out unconsciously to lightly clasp her own before they dropped awkwardly to his sides as he realised she may not welcome his touch before he'd explained himself.

"His brother...I'm Prince James' twin brother."

Snow's brow furrowed, "I thought King George only had one child?"

"In truth, he never truly had any child which was his own."

James scrubbed a hand through his hair nervously, trying to engage his hands in action to combat the need for Snow's touch which burned in his fingertips.

"My parents were a poor peasant couple who lived in a village about a day's ride from here. They could barely afford to feed themselves and when my brother and I were born, they worried endlessly about how we would all be able to survive. One day, a stranger came to their doorstep with an offer...a _deal_ which would ensure we would never go hungry."

The way he emphasised the word left no doubt in Snow's mind as to who he was referring to.

"Rumplestiltskin," she stated, her arms coming up to cross against her chest to ward off the slight shiver the thought of that man created.

James nodded, "Yes. He offered my parents ownership of a small farm on the outskirts of the village but his price was one of us. My parents did not want to lose one of their sons but they did not think they had a choice, they knew the likelihood that both of us would survive to adulthood given the conditions we would be forced to live in was slim."

A rueful smile crossed his lips, "Besides, Rumplestiltskin assured them that whichever of us they gave up would be raised as royalty, wanting for nothing."

How he knew that was untrue...the rigidity of the life required as a noble meant that there were many things one wanted that they would never be able to have. Not for the first time, he wondered what his brother's life had truly been like...whether it had been as lonely as he had found it, whether he too had wished to follow his heart but found it stifled by an overbearing father.

"And so they agreed."

Snow's quiet prompting drew him from his thoughts, the sympathy on her face clear as day.

"Yes. I knew nothing of this though; my father passed when I was young and my mother never once told me I had a brother. I grew up on the farm they had gained, expecting nothing more out of life than to inherit it one day...to raise my own family in the small house in which I'd spent my entire life, keeping the place afloat by working the fields and tending to the animals. "

A trace of wistfulness entered his voice, the haze of memory clouding his eyes. However, no matter how hard Snow tried, she could not picture her Charming in such a life. The heroic, strong and principled man she knew seemed too...noble, had too much of a presence about him to live life as a simple farmer. She had never once been given cause to believe he was anything but a true prince, and to see him as anything different now was almost impossible.

"So how did..."

"How did I become my brother?" James interrupted before continuing after Snow nodded in acknowledgement, "King George had struck a bargain with King Midas; my brother would kill a dragon which had been terrorising Midas' kingdom in exchange for all the gold King George could ever want...but before he could, my brother was killed."

James stopped here and let out a deep breath, a sad smile tugging at his lips, "The day I found out I had a brother, was also the day I learned I would never be able to meet him."

Snow's heart clenched at the sadness in his eyes and for the first time since he had begin to confess, she reached out to gently run her hand along his arm in comforting strokes. He relaxed visibly at her touch, his opposite hand coming up to cover hers in silent gratitude. Gaining fortitude, James continued.

"The bargain would be null and void if Midas learned of my brother's death and since even the strongest magic could not raise the dead, King George needed the next best thing."

"You."

"Me," he agreed, "Rumplestiltskin turned up at the farm and after my mother had explained about the deal she and my father had made, Rumplestiltskin offered a new one. I would play the part...act as my brother long enough to deliver the dragon's head to Midas and in exchange, King George would ensure that my mother's future was secured, that our farm would be saved. I did not even have to fight the beast myself, the king's knights would shoulder that duty, and if I survived, I could then return home safe in the knowledge that our livelihood was forever ensured...but events did not quite go according to plan."

"The dragon was not slain?" Snow guessed, hand still tenderly stroking his arm.

"Oh, it was slain...I did it myself," James couldn't help the small amount of smugness which coloured his voice...smugness which quickly faded at the half questioning, half disbelieving look upon his betrothed's face, "I may not have been raised a prince, but I did know how to wield a sword."

A flash of memory flitted through his head; a head of red curls, a peal of laughter, a glint of a sharpened blade...he shook his head to clear it...that was a tale for another time.

"It was what came after which I could not control. Midas was so impressed by my apparent bravery and skill that he wanted to seal the relationship between the two kingdoms with a bond far greater than that of a deal between old men."

Realisation dawned on Snow, the first proper conversation she had ever shared with her Charming rising in her mind.

"_Let me guess – her kingdom wants to take over yours and this is, what, a last ditch effort to avoid war?"_

"_This is not a takeover. It's a merger..."_

"Abigail," she breathed out as James nodded.

"I did not want to marry her even then, but King George gave me no choice; if I did not remain in the role of Prince James and marry Abigail, he would destroy my home and my mother along with it."

If Snow did not already feel a healthy amount of dislike for the king, what she was hearing now would certainly have brought out that emotion.

"I had no choice but to agree, and in honour of my acquiescence, the king let me see my mother one last time to say goodbye before I left that life behind for good," James eyes dropped to Snow's hand and he rubbed a finger across the ring which now adorned it, "It was then she gave me this ring and tried her best to comfort me with the knowledge that perhaps in time I would learn to love Abigail. It was a fate I had resigned myself to, until the day a beautiful thief raided my carriage and hit me in the face with a rock."

At his last words, a true grin tugged at his mouth momentarily, his hand raising hers to press a loving kiss against the back of her fingers before he became serious once more.

"I am sorry that I kept the truth from you, it was never my intention to carry on the deception so long once I knew I could trust you above all others...but though I might not have been raised as Prince James, it is who I consider myself to be now. James is the man who fell in love with a rogue princess, who fights for what he believes in, who wants nothing more than to live happily ever after with his betrothed...who is willing to fight for _his_ kingdom and yours."

After his passionate declaration, James felt a huge weight lift from his chest. He had not realised how much his secret had been weighing upon him, and now he waited with a new-found sense of peace for Snow's judgement of his explanation, good or bad.

But he needn't have worried...the woman in question was gazing up at her beloved in wonder. She was amazed that someone who had been through so much, whose life had been manipulated according to the desires of others, was so willing to endure the hardships of an existence which he had not voluntarily chosen as his own. Snow had known from the moment they had met that James was special...she just could not have imagined how much. She could not fault him for not telling her his identity earlier; the situations they had constantly found themselves had not leant themselves to discussions of this nature and the fact that he was so contrite and worried about his reaction made her heart ache for him all the more. She knew she needed to respond, but there was only one thing to be said...one statement which summed up everything she felt.

"I love you."

James closed his eyes to soak in the emotion that simple declaration invoked in him and all that meant; forgiveness, understanding, belief...his Snow had eased all his fears in the span of three words.

"Yeah, still?" he questioned quietly, re-opening his eyes to gaze down into hers with tears of joy sparkling along the line of his lashes.

"Always," she affirmed, "But I do have two questions."

"Anything," James promised fervently. He would never again keep a secret from her; it was a vow he made himself right there and then...from now on, his life was an open book which she alone had the privilege of reading from whenever she wished.

"Firstly, what happened to your mother? Is she alright?"

James gaped at her for a moment before suddenly swooping down to capture her lips in a short but passionate kiss.

"Not that I'm complaining," Snow murmured when they finally parted for some much needed air, "But what was that for?"

"For being the most amazing human being who has ever existed in this realm," James answered breathlessly, pressing his forehead against hers. "After everything I have told you, to have your first question to be about my mother's safety...that means more to me than you'll ever know."

Snow brushed her fingertips along the length of his brow, before tangling them in the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I know," she said simply, her mind on her own parents, both stolen from her life too soon.

"And to answer your question, I'm not sure."

He suddenly looked very vulnerable, worry rising in his gaze.

"When I was hoping that you would come to me, that we would run away together, I planned to have the farm be our first stop...to take my mother with us so she would be safe from any reprisals. When that did not happen but I decided that I could no longer stay at the palace anyway, I sent her a message. I asked her to leave the farm, to seek shelter in a nearby kingdom whose prince I befriended during the weeks between our meeting and my aborted wedding...but I do not know if she heeded my request."

James was troubled; with all that happened in the time since he'd first run from the palace, his mother had been pushed to the back of his mind. Snow had been his first priority, and though he knew that his mother would approve of him putting the love of his life first, he still felt guilty that he had not yet done more to discover her fate.

"Then that shall be our first task," Snow said decisively, "We will travel to your farm, and if she is not there, we will keep searching until we find her."

"But your plan, the kingdom..."

"Can wait, family is more important."

James just stared at her in awe...every time he was sure he could not possibly love her anymore than he already did, she found a way to disprove him. If she kept this up, he was certain his heart would explode with the force of his adoration for the woman who was to be his wife.

"I love you."

Snow just nodded solemnly, though her eyes were sparkling with loving amusement.

"And you still have a second question to answer."

"Which is?" James asked, in between pressing a series of light kisses along her hair line.

"What's your name? Your real name?"

He blinked, his mind curiously blank for a moment. It was strange...he'd been James for only a fraction of the time he had lived and yet his other name was one he truly did not consider his anymore.

"David, my name was David," he said finally.

Snow pursed her lips in contemplation before tilting her head to the side as a teasing expression crossed her features.

"I still like Charming better."

James let out a loud laugh, picking Snow up and spinning her around in his embrace before claiming her lips in a kiss of joyous affirmation. They had weathered this tiny storm as they had every obstacle which had been thrown in their path...and he had no doubt that her earlier declaration would prove true; together they could do anything.

* * *

"No!"

The Queen cried out in anger, shattering the mirror which moments before had reflected the image of her step-daughter and the imposter prince in a loving embrace. From his position in the mirror on the wall opposite, the genie winced as shards of sharp glass flew far and wide.

"Your Majesty," he started before falling silent at the utterly deadly glare she threw his way.

"How is it," she hissed, "That, that..._wretched_ girl manages to escape every form of justice I visit upon her? That she gets everything she ever wanted while I suffer this hellish existence she sentenced me to with her betrayal!"

She paced backwards and forth along the cold floor, her cloak swishing along the ground with every step. Every action she had taken over the past few years was meaningless as long as Snow White lived...as long as she was _happy_. Maleficent's sleeping curse was meant to be the answer to her woes; the price she'd paid for it was high and to have it defeated by a kiss from that idiotically devoted fool was almost too much to bear.

Now...now she would show no mercy. She would rip everything Snow loved away from her, she would ensure that her step-daughter would never regain her throne nor any other and she would take great pleasure in ripping the heart of her beloved prince right out of his chest before her very eyes. Hell hath no fury like a woman denied her vengeance, and Regina would rain every single drop of that fury upon Snow's perfect little head. But to do so she would need power; more power than she currently possessed and not merely that of magic...and she knew exactly how to grasp it within her hands.

With a slowly creeping smile of satisfaction curling the corner of her lips, she turned towards one the guards standing at attention by the door.

"Tell my father to ready my carriage...it's time we paid King George another visit."


	3. An Alliance Forged

**A Kingdom Won**

Summary: "Let's take back the kingdom." Snow, Charming and the fight for their happy ending...a fairytale land tale.

A/N: Wow! All of you keep exceeding my expectations when it comes to reviews and alerts...thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter just as much. The next one won't be til late next week since I'm going on a mini-holiday...but I promise to have it out before the OUAT panel at Comic-Con ;)

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters plus any recognisable dialogue and/or scenes belong to ABC...all I own is healthy dose of jealously towards anyone lucky enough to be heading to Comic-Con in a couple of weeks time...

* * *

**Chapter Three - An Alliance Forged**

"Sleepy! Wake up or you are going to fall off the damn horse!"

"Grumpy, let him be...we've been travelling for a long time."

"Are we there yet?"

"No...just like we *achoo* weren't the last hundred times you asked me Dopey!"

"Uh, Bashful...hands a little lower please."

"Maybe we should have made this journey alone."

Snow giggled at James' muttered words, yet tightened her hands momentarily around his waist in slight admonishment.

"They wanted to help you," she reminded him, though as she saw Bashful turn bright red and stutter apologies to Red for his inadvertent groping, she secretly wondered whether her Charming had a point. If a stranger stumbled upon them, she knew they would make a strange sight; a group of ten disparate looking riders sharing five horses between them. If that stranger then learned who they really were (seven dwarves, a werewolf, an exiled princess and an imposter prince), then they would either fall about laughing or faint with disbelief...which would be quite a feat given the numerous bizarre creatures which were a commonplace sight within their realm.

It was a far cry from the solitude she'd enjoyed the first time she had travelled this way with James. Then, she had spent the entirety of their short journey trying to convince herself that the butterflies in her stomach were merely the result of nervousness over dealing with the trolls again and not because of her close proximity to the handsome man in front of her. It was a battle she had lost thoroughly; his masculine scent and the emanating warmth of his body combining to knock ever-larger holes in her defensive wall which he'd first pierced with his pure nobility. This time around however, she took great pleasure in holding herself as close to him as she possibly could, her head resting comfortably on the broad expanse of his back.

"I know," James sighed, breaking Snow out of her memories as he relinquished one hand from the reins to lift hers and press a gentle kiss upon her upturned palm, "And I'm grateful...I have done nothing to earn their loyalty yet they so freely give it."

"You saved me; that is all the proof they needed of your character."

In truth, James had been quite taken aback at how willing Snow's friends were to help in his search for his mother. He and Snow had returned from their rather eventful walk to find Red had joined the dwarves, having returned from her quest to find flowers to lie upon Snow's coffin. After reunions, congratulations and elicited promises that he would always treat his beloved right were exchanged, he had explained a shortened version of his story. He had barely finished his tale before Red had chimed in with the location of some horses in a nearby village they could borrow for the journey, the dwarves offering their help in the next breath. James had been overwhelmed at their eagerness; life since he had agreed to Rumplestiltskin's offer had been extremely lonely asides from the moments he had spent with Snow and his fledgling friendship with another prince, so to suddenly have gained an entire group of friends was more than he could have ever hoped for.

After accepting their offer in good grace, they had travelled to the village Red had suggested in order to secure horses and supplies. He and Snow had also taken the opportunity to change their clothing; while the outfit Rumplestiltskin had created for him was certainly grand (and very dashing, to borrow his betrothed's words), it drew far too much attention. He was certain once the Queen learned that her curse on Snow had failed, she would once again start to hunt them down with impunity. Luckily, he had found his leather tunic packed into one of his saddlebags. He had to admit, he had become quite fond of that particular piece of clothing. It was comfortable, practical, not as outlandish as some of the outfits he had seen other members of nobility wear...and sentimentally, it was what he had been wearing when he'd first encountered his beautiful, impish fiancée.

"Which way James?"

He looked up at Red's question to see they had reached a fork in the road, the dusty path snaking off through the woods in two completely different directions. Concentrating, he visualised the path to his home, mentally mapping out the route and following it with his mind's eye.

"Right."

"You sure?" Grumpy grunted, peering down the road as if trying to see beyond the tree-laden horizon.

"Yes I'm sure. I spent my childhood exploring this part of the forest."

"Playing a prince?" Snow asked cheekily.

"A knight actually," he shot back with a grin, "I wanted to defend my little make-believe kingdom without the nuisance of having to marry whichever damsel-in-distress princess I had to save."

"Obviously you grew out of that," Red noted wryly, eyes pointedly landing on the ring encircling Snow's finger.

James laughed, "You can thank my mother for that. She tried to instil a belief in true love in me from an early age...I was just a little slow on the uptake."

The smile slowly fell from his face in remembrance before he continued, "It was not until my father fell ill that I truly believed. No-one could have viewed the absolute devotion my mother nursed him with while he lay on his death-bed without believing that true love existed."

Snow hugged him softly, pressing a kiss to his shoulder in support as Doc nodded wisely from his perch behind Happy.

He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off as Red suddenly threw up her hand, her head tilted curiously to the side.

"Red?" Snow questioned her friend.

"Can you hear that?" Red asked in response, ears straining to discern the sounds which had caught her attention.

They all joined her, listening for a few moments before they all made out the distinctive sound of hoof beats thundering towards their location.

"Quick! Into the trees," James commanded, pulling sharply at the reins to steer their steed into the thick underbrush which lined the path. The dwarves and Red soon followed, each of them spurring their horses onwards until they were all safely hidden far back enough from the road as to not be detected, but close enough that they would be able to see who was approaching. It could very likely be just travelling merchants or villagers, but James was taking no chances when it came to Snow's safety from the Queen and her minions.

The group waited with bated breath as the sound of horses drew ever closer, soon accompanied by the softer rattle which signalled a carriage being pulled along the bumpy ground. Snow tensed with anticipation, her head resting on top of James' shoulder with eyes locked on the small portion of the path visible through the trees. Her hand rested unconsciously on the dagger tucked into her belt, just as James' hand rested on the hilt of his sword, fingers curled around ready to unsheathe it at a moment's notice.

Finally, the source of the sound came into a view. Riders cloaked in black passed by, their feathered helmets instantly recognizable and marking them as the Queen's knights. Grumpy let out a low grunt, Doc placing a restraining hand on his arm as beside them James' brow furrowed; this was not their kingdom...he had never once before seen an envoy of the Queen travel this part of the woods in all the time he lived in the area. As they continued to watch, a sleek black carriage rolled into view and it became clear this was not merely a scouting party. It was unmistakably the Queen's personal carriage, her darkened profile visible through the curtained window.

James held out a warning hand in front of the others. Though he wished nothing more than to end this threat now, to strike at the Queen while she was unprepared, he knew this was not the time. It did however, take all of his self-control as the last time he had seen the Queen, she had been taunting him about Snow's fate and the level of hatred she inspired was far more than he had ever believed was possible for him to feel.

Behind him, Snow was having her own difficulties. Learning the truth behind Regina's hatred of her had stirred a measure of sympathy within her heart but that was overshadowed by her long-held anger. It did not help that she had learned that before his escape, James had been scheduled for execution...Regina's promise that Snow's sacrifice would spare his life had been nothing more than a blatant manipulation and to even imagine her beloved without life sparkling behind his vivid blue eyes was more than she could bear. For that lie, Snow found it impossible to view Regina as anything more than a twisted, evil witch.

The carriage moved on and after several minutes waiting for the sound of its accompanying horses to fade into the distance, the group eventually moved back out onto the road. Silence reigned for a moment before Happy broke it with a simple question.

"What is the Queen doing heading towards King George's palace again?"

"I don't know...but for whatever reason, you can be assured it isn't good," Snow replied, gaze locked onto the quickly fading dust trail left in the Queen's wake.

* * *

_This cannot be good._

King George had watched the entrance of Regina's entourage from his private chambers, curiosity warring with wariness within him. He had known her for many years now, and though outwardly he had never once shown fear in her presence he'd always felt unnerved. Though he had first believed that she was merely here to inform him of her success in eliminating the dual thorns in their side, the stony expression upon her face as she'd strode forcefully into the throne room indicated that the news she brought was not of an agreeable nature. However, one must always observe the pleasantries of nobility so despite his impatience to learn the true nature of her visit, George offered a genial smile as she reached his throne.

"Regina."

"George," she offered in return, her hand waving away her knights. He did the same...he had the feeling this conversation was not one which he would want overheard.

"What business brings you to my kingdom once more? I assume you have come to relay the news that my..._son_, is no longer a problem."

Regina's stony facade briefly faltered, the boiling anger towards the afore-mentioned son for so easily breaking her curse escaping for a moment before she composed herself, turning her back on George to stare out of the ornate window. If she was to succeed in her main aim, she could not afford to show weakness of any kind.

"I regret to inform you that he managed to escape from my custody," she admitted, yet her tone dared him to comment unfavourably. Not yet willing to test the edges of her emotional control, George merely asked another question.

"And Snow White?"

Her silence was all he needed to confirm his suspicions and though he had prepared himself, he could not help the anger which rose within him. Rising from his chair, he took a few large strides towards Regina's position at the window, fists clenched in an effort to rein in his fury.

"You promised me they would suffer! I relinquished my chance to end that impudent boy's life because you gave me your word he would endure a worse fate than death..."

"And he still shall! They both shall!" Regina interrupted fiercely, whirling around to face him with her cape following dramatically behind, "I swear it upon my father's life, they will _never_ know peace or happiness for the crimes they have perpetrated against me...against **us**."

George was slightly taken aback...in all the time he had known her, the only person he had ever witnessed her truly care for was her father. In fact, he knew he was one of the few people who even knew the true identity of the man most assumed to be her servant. To swear vengeance with his life as guarantee was akin to him swearing upon the grave of his true son...a promise to be upheld at all costs. To do so, he could only assume that Regina already had a plan in mind.

"And how will you accomplish this?" he asked, brows raised in question.

"**_We _**will accomplish this...with an alliance," Regina answered, a reptilian smile crossing her lips.

"An alliance," George repeated, intrigued despite his vow to remain cautious.

Regina approached him slowly, her body swaying in an almost seductive rhythm with every step til she had invaded his personal space, her hands coming up to rest suggestively on his chest.

"Imagine, our two great kingdoms joined together for mutual benefit. My magic, your knowledge...a combined army of knights to strike down our enemies with deadly force. The richest kingdom of all the realms; the most feared. No-one would dare stand against us...and if...no _when _our wayward..._children _try, we shall crush them beneath our might."

Her voice was low, her words painting a picture so tempting that George could almost taste the power he would wield. Yet, he was still hesitant...he knew Regina could never be completely trusted.

"And what makes you think they will try? James has done everything he could to escape the responsibilities, the power I gifted him. He made it perfectly clear he has no desire to play the part I bestowed upon him."

"Snow White," she said simply, her hands stroking along the edge of his robes encouragingly, "She wants my throne...and I have no doubt she will convince her prince to help her steal it from me rather than simply disappear into another realm as a penniless, powerless peasant."

Regina paused, looking George directly in the eyes.

"This is our chance to have it all. Power. Wealth. Revenge."

She turned, trailing her hands up and over his shoulders, her head tilting to brush his ear with the barest touch as she whispered,

"All you have to do...is say _yes_."

Despite his misgivings, despite the small voice inside which screamed out warnings George found that he could do nothing more than breathe out a single word in response.

"Yes."

* * *

"You did not!"

"I did!"

Snow laughed out loud, the sound echoed by their travelling companions as they trotted through the dense forest. They had left the road behind over an hour ago and were now currently weaving their way through the trees which formed the border between James' farm and his neighbours'.

"You sheared off the miller's daughter's hair?"

James nodded sheepishly, his eyes sparking with mirth.

"My father had only recently started to teach me how to shear our flock and I wanted to practice on something which was not as valuable to my family as one of our sheep."

"The miller's _daughter_," Snow repeated, stressing the last word.

"In my defence, I was five at the time."

Snow just shook her head, lightly slapping her betrothed's leather clad-shoulder.

"And to think, I believed you must have been born with an over-developed sense of chivalry...you're ruining my image of your childhood self Charming," she teased to the tune of more laughter from the dwarves and Red.

James just grinned softly in response, happy to see his beloved's sprits high once more. After they had witnessed the Queen travelling towards the palace he had briefly called his home, Snow had been uncharacteristically silent...her mind racing with every possible reason her step-mother could have for her visit. In order to provide a distraction, James had begun to tell tales of his childhood growing up on the farm. In truth, it had also provided him with a much-needed diversion from his own thoughts. The closer they drew to their destination, the more anxiety he felt over what they might find. If the king had harmed his mother in any way...

He suddenly pulled up on the reins, the horse jerking to such a quick stop beneath him that Snow collided heavily with his back, her arms automatically tightening around his stomach to regain her balance.

"James?" she questioned softly, peering over his shoulder to see what had garnered his attention so abruptly. Through a break in the trees she could faintly make out a large blackened field with what appeared to be a pile of rocks stacked haphazardly off to one side.

Before she could question James further, he dug his heels hard into their horse's flank, the steed taking off with a force which almost threw Snow off his back. With the others shouting in surprise behind them, they spent a few terrifying seconds racing through the closely planted trees before they emerged into the blinding sunlight of the field. James one again brought their horse to halt, leaping off and running towards the rock pile before Snow had even caught her breath.

Concerned as to her fiancé's strange behaviour, she quickly followed. Her feet stirred the ash coating the ground, the disturbed dust swirling up into the air causing her to cough. Something crunched lightly under her foot and she looked down to see pieces of shattered, blackened bone...and it was not just one random piece. There were bones scattered all over the ground, the darkened skulls still recognizable as the last remnants of what had once between a healthy flock of sheep. Revulsion rising in her heart, she looked up in time to see that James had stopped in front of the rocks, his knees seemingly buckling beneath him as if they were as weak as twigs and he fell to the ground with a cry.

"No!"

At his words, Snow realised with dawning horror that what she had thought were merely rocks was actually rubble...rubble which had once been a house...a house which had provided a loving shelter for the man currently staring up at it in grieving disbelief.

Reaching his side, Snow fell to the ground beside James, wrapping her arms around him in comfort.

"Oh Charming...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Behind them, the others quietly approached but stayed far enough back to provide some privacy.

"I failed her Snow, I didn't protect her," he whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the ruin which had been his home. Though he thought he had prepared himself for the worst, this was far beyond his most awful imaginings. Despite everything, he had expected to see his home exactly as he left it, his mother standing under the porch with arms held wide for a welcoming hug. Now...now that was nothing more than an impossible dream.

"We don't know for sure that she was here when it happened," Snow said quietly, rubbing his shoulders in a calming motion, "She may have already left by the time the king's soldiers reached here."

James nodded slowly, clinging to his fiancée's words with the last of shred of hope he could muster in the face of the utter destruction before him. Turning slightly, he buried his face into Snow's hair, drawing strength from her as she had from him in her earliest moments after awakening from her cursed sleep.

So caught up in each other, they heard the warning shout from their companions far too late...the point of a gleaming sword suddenly appearing at their side before they could move to arm themselves accordingly. Its owner then spoke in a tone as sharp as the weapon they carried.

"I knew you would return here...Your Highness."


	4. A Friendship Renewed

**A Kingdom Won**

Summary: "Let's take back the kingdom." Snow, Charming and the fight for their happy ending...a fairytale land tale.

A/N: I'm back from my holiday ready with another chapter for you all! I'm a little nervous and excited about this one since it contains a new character who I've been working on since I started this little literary adventure, hopefully you'll like them as much as I do. Also, they are based on a Disney character (not quite a fairytale one though I think) and I'll send a small sneak peek of the next chapter to the first person who guesses correctly! Thanks once again for all the awesome reviews/alerts/favourites, they made the inevitable end-of-holiday sadness disappear pronto!

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters plus any recognisable dialogue and/or scenes belong to ABC...all I own is serious lust over those Cinderella-themed limited release Christian Louboutins...

* * *

**Chapter Four – A Friendship Renewed**

In her entire life, Red had truly only had one friend who she trusted above all others, one friend who she considered to be blood, to be the sister she had never had...and that friend was Snow White.

From the moment she had awoken underneath her cloak on a moonlit night with her Peter's blood staining the nearby ground a violent crimson, Red had found Snow to be her rock. She had not only helped her to physically escape from those who would have pursued her to the ends of the realm for her inadvertent crimes, she had helped Red recover mentally and emotionally at a time when all she wanted to do was chain her uncloaked self to a tree for a hunter to find...to end the guilt and suffering the knowledge that she had murdered her beloved heaped upon her shoulders. To that end, Red would follow anywhere Snow would lead, would protect her with her last breath if need be.

Through the course of the last few weeks, that sense of loyalty had also extended to her friend's new-found love...James. The first time she had met the handsome prince (for even after his confession, she still considered him to be thus), her need to protect him had stemmed only from her desire to spare Snow the agony of losing her love as she had. But over the course of the few hours they had spent in each other's company on their quest to find Snow, Red had found in James another potential friend...one who she liked for his own qualities and not just for the sparkle he evoked in her dearest friend's eyes. Once she had finally seen them together, seen the absolute adoration which coloured their every interaction, Red had reaffirmed her private vow that she would do all in her power to protect the two lovers.

As such, when a cloaked figure approached the kneeling, grieving pair with sword raised, Red had cursed at the sun in the sky for hindering her most valuable weapon. Taking off at a sprint across the blackened field to reach her friends with the dwarves not far behind, she came to a sudden halt mere metres from them as a strange sight unfolded before her eyes. Rather than attacking her friends, the figure seemed to say a few words before suddenly James leapt up, picking up the stranger and spinning them around in a delighted hug. In the process, their hood fell back to reveal the features of a woman with closely-shorn red hair, her beauty evident despite her obvious attempts to look like a man.

"Who's that?" Dopey asked innocently, as Red looked back to see Grumpy eyeing the newcomer with disdain, his protectiveness of Snow coming to the fore.

"I don't know," she replied, eyes flicking forward once again to see a confused and somewhat sour look cross Snow's features at the familiarity her betrothed was displaying with the unknown woman, "But for James' sake, it had better be a long-lost sister."

_**Moments Earlier**_

"_I knew you would return here...Your Highness."_

The moment James had seen the sword pointed towards himself and Snow, his mind had immediately shifted into protective mode, sure that their attacker was one of either the Queen's or King George's minions. Internally scolding himself for not paying more attention to their surroundings despite his grief, he had readied himself to place his body between the sword and his beloved when the sword's owner's words reached his ears. That voice...he knew that voice. It evoked memories of a long-ago childhood, of a friendship which had lightened his darkest days, of a bond whose strength was such that until he met Snow he did not think he would ever feel a stronger connection.

Snapping his head up, he came face to face with a figure clothed in a cloak of dark blue, their hood pulled so far forward over their head that it cast their face in shadow and made it impossible to distinguish any features. However, he did not need to see their face to know exactly who it was who stood before him.

"Will?" he asked in hope, the arms which he had tightened involuntarily around Snow in a gesture of protection falling slack against his sides.

"I'm glad to see you still remember your old friends despite your new-found title," replied Will dryly, allowing the sword to descend harmlessly to her side moments before James rose to engulf her in a joyful embrace, memories flooding into his mind.

_David sat underneath one of the tallest trees surrounding his family's farm, charcoal scratching across a ragged piece of parchment salvaged from a letter sent to his parents. Though only eight, he could already read and write having taken lessons in the nearby village since a very young age. His father in particular had been adamant that his son should be literate, especially since he was the sole heir to the farm and would need to be able to keep a record of all business conducted. At this age however, David was more interested in writing a letter to the village baker asking if he could please start making his favourite sweetbread again. Halfway through, his attention was diverted when an acorn from the tree above fell onto his head with a soft thud. Rubbing his hand over the slightly aching spot, he returned to writing only to have another acorn hit his shoulder, followed by a shower of them pelting him with more force than they would naturally have if they had fallen from the tree unaided._

"_Hey!" He shouted, leaping up from his spot to peer up into the tree branches above, "Whoever's up there, cut it out!"_

_A feminine giggle floated down, before a small figure jumped down onto the lowest hanging branch, a mane of wild red curls settling about her shoulders._

"_Sorry," she said, though the grin stretched across her face indicted that she was anything but, "You were concentrating so hard I just wanted to get your attention."_

"_You couldn't have just called out?" David asked crossly, his arms folded against his chest as he stared her down. The girl was around his age, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief._

"_Where is the fun in that?" she shot back, lowering herself to the ground with graceful movements._

_David took an involuntarily step back, still wary of the strange young girl. Though he spent some time in the village, he had not had much of a chance to spend that time around girls his age...most of them walked around in giggling groups which proved very intimidating to a lone boy whose closest companions were the animals he looked after._

"_I haven't seen you before...are you from the village?"_

_She picked up one of the fallen nuts and started to throw it back and forth between her hands, before nodding her head yes._

"_I'm Brun and Selda's daughter."_

"_Brun the Blacksmith?" David asked, his eyebrows drawing together in consternation, "They don't have any children."_

_She shrugged, allowing the nut to fall to the ground, "They didn't, then they found me lying under a willow tree outside the village and took me in...so now they do."_

"_What about your real parents?" David asked, curiosity overtaking his previous cautiousness._

"_I don't know...I don't remember anything before Brun and Selda found me," she stated matter-of-factly as she raised a hand to play with a golden locket which hung around her neck, "All I have of whatever life I lived before is this necklace."_

_David squinted to get a closer look. It was a round locket, with a flower etched upon its surface...it was obviously well-made and much shinier than any jewellery anyone David knew could afford._

"_I'm sorry," he said quietly, not knowing what else to say._

"_I'm not," she said simply, though the sadness flickering in her eyes told a different story. David could see it clearly, and felt a surge of compassion. Having grown up with two parents who loved him and each other unconditionally, he could not imagine what it was like to not remember his family and to suddenly find himself part of a new one. Besides, his mother had been nagging him to make more friends. With that in mind, he stuck out his hand towards the girl with an expectant look upon his face._

"_I'm David."_

_She looked down at his hand for a moment, before she lifted her own to slip into his, gently shaking it as a smile spread across her face._

"_Willow...but you can call me Will."_

"You can put me down now."

Will's laughing admonition broke James out of his memories and he released her, stepping back to take her in. She did not look much different from the last time he had seen her, the week before Rumplestiltskin had appeared on his doorstep and changed his life forever. Her hair was still incredibly short, as it had been since the moment she had chopped it all off herself on her thirteenth birthday and her clothes were still masculine, which was no surprise considering she despised anything which was remotely 'girly' (for lack of a better word). The only thing changed about her appearance was the small wound which now marred her left eyebrow, its sharpness indicating it could not have come from anything other than a sword.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, lifting his hand upwards to gesture at her face, "And what happened to your eye?"

"I was waiting for you," Will replied simply, a familiar grin pulling at her lips, "And as for my eye, well...let's just say one of the knights who had been here waiting for you as well did not take too kindly to my attempts to..._persuade_ him to leave."

Leaving the second part of her answer for a moment, he seized on the first.

"Waiting for me? Why?"

A small movement he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye reminded James that Snow was standing next to him and he reached back to intertwine their hands so he could tug her gently forward, tucking her against his side in a movement so natural anyone watching would think they had been together for years. It was a gesture which, unbeknownst to James, put Snow at ease. When he'd first wrapped the woman in a tight hug, Snow had felt a spark of jealousy pierce her heart...to see her fiancé so physically close to another woman, one with whom he had a deep affection for if the happiness which had lit his face the moment he'd recognised her was any indication, had been rather unnerving. Now, she snaked her arm around his waist and lightly squeezed, her gaze landing squarely and defiantly on the red-head as if daring her to dispute her claim to her Charming.

Will watched this interaction with amused interest, preferring to leave answering James' previous question until introductions had been made. Taking the initiative, she aimed a friendly smile in Snow's direction, her eyes sweeping sideways to look at James in askance who immediately got the hint.

"Snow, I'd like you to meet Willow, one of my closest and oldest friends," James started, "The closest I have ever had to a sister if I am honest," he continued, proving that he had not been oblivious to his beloved's reaction to the way he had greeted Will.

"Will," he went on, "I'd like to introduce you to Snow. My fiancée..." James paused here, savouring the happiness which suffused his very soul at being able to refer to Snow as such, "...my true love."

Feeling much more at ease at James' description of Will and his subsequent description of her, Snow returned the warm smile as James pressed a kiss against her hair.

"Any friend of James' is a friend of mine."

Confusion flickered across Will's face for a second, before recognition sparked in her eyes.

"Ah, I forgot your mother told me you had to change your name as well," she directed towards James, before turning back to Snow, "And it's nice to meet the woman who finally captured Dav...James' heart. I was beginning to think he'd end up a crotchety old shepherd given how many women he turned down."

"Oh?" Snow asked, raising her eyebrow in James' direction.

"Stop exaggerating Will, it was only a couple...and none of them could hold a candle to you, my love," James explained, before the first part of Will's sentence penetrated his mind, bringing his attention back to reason he had returned to the farm in the first place.

"My mother? You've spoken to her? Is she alright? Was she here when..."

Snow squeezed his waist in support as he rapidly fired off question after question, the anxiety he'd felt before Will's appearance returning full force within his heart. Behind, Red and the dwarves stood silently, having crossed the last few metres to stand behind them during the course of their conversation.

Will held up her hands in supplication, James falling silent at the serious look upon her face.

"She is fine," Will started as he felt relief flood through his body, the tension he'd felt since the moment he'd seen the blackened ruins of his home draining quickly away, "At least, she was the last time I saw her."

Before he could tense up again, Will continued, "She received your letter and I convinced her to heed your request to leave and seek safety in your friend's kingdom. I helped her pack, then sent her on her way mere hours before knights from King George's kingdom arrived. I could not prevent them from destroying the farm, but I did ensure the few men they left behind to entrap you should you return would no longer be a problem."

"Then she is safe," James breathed out, closing his eyes and allowing that knowledge to soothe the jagged edges of his emotions.

"Yes...though I have not heard from her since she sent word that she had reached the border between this kingdom and the next."

"Then we shall just have to travel to her intended destination ourselves to make absolutely sure," Snow said decisively, glancing behind her to see her friends nodding their heads in agreement.

"I am certain the path between here and there will be well patrolled by the King's knights," Will warned, eyeing Snow as if to gauge her sincerity.

"Then we shall just have to travel stealthily...and armed to the teeth," Snow replied, her words causing a slow grin to cross Will's face.

"I like you," she said simply, before raising her gaze to the slightly darkened sky, "But it is almost sunset and to leave now would not be wise. Come, I have set up camp in a meadow not far from here. We can share dinner and rest, and you can tell me how you managed to secure my oldest friend's heart."

"And I am sure you have some interesting tales of Charming's childhood to tell," Snow grinned back mischievously.

"Oh, most definitely," Will agreed, mind already cataloguing the most embarrassing tales she could remember.

"I am standing right here," James interjected, eyes roaming between the two woman warily as he began to imagine just what kind of stories the two could share with each other.

"So?" Will questioned, reaching out to loop her arm through Snow's to pull her forward out of James' embrace and much to his consternation, Snow gladly allowed her to do so.

"You can start by telling me why you called him Charming just then," Will instructed.

Snow laughed, "It has to do with the first time we met...well, the second actually since I guess the first time was technically when I hit him in the face with a rock."

"A rock? I hit him with some acorns the first time..."

Their chatter continued as they walked off, leaving James standing dumbstruck in their wake.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Red called, rushing past him to reach Snow and weaving her hand around the crook of her other arm.

Grumpy came up next to James, clapping him heartily on his back as high as he could reach.

"You're in for it now," he said gruffly, amusement lurking beneath the low tones.

James just nodded, wondering just when his life had become ruled by the strong women within it...and not caring one whit that it was.

* * *

In a small candlelit room miles away, a woman stirred restlessly amongst sweat-soaked sheets, her body thrashing uncomfortably under the strain of the fever racing through weakened form. At her side sat a young boy, his red-hair shining bright, his blue eyes peering worryingly down at the woman as she started to quietly moan. His gaze was drawn down to her shoulder, where a hint of crimson started to spread across a wide bandage wrapped around the top of her torso.

"Father!" he cried out in alarm, footsteps quickly approaching before the echo of his call had even faded.

An older man entered the room, wringing a dampened cloth between well-worn yet dextrous hands.

"What is it my boy?" he questioned, concern clear in his voice.

"She's bleeding again," the boy explained, as the woman's moans grew louder and more distressed.

"Here, take this and press it against her forehead," the man instructed, handing the cloth over to his son before moving to the opposite side of the bed to check the bandages. Even the gentlest touch he placed on her shoulder caused the woman to cry out, but he persevered, knowing that if he did not keep her wound clean the pain it would cause her later would be magnified.

"Will she be alright?" the boy asked softly, wiping the sweat from the woman's fevered brow.

"I don't know son...I don't know," his father answered softly as the woman's moans quietened yet turned into a murmur of words.

"_David...my David...my son..."_


	5. A Future Discussed

**A Kingdom Won**

Summary: "Let's take back the kingdom." Snow, Charming and the fight for their happy ending...a fairytale land tale.

A/N: New Chapter time! I would have had this one out earlier but first I was distracted by all the epic awesomeness that was the OUAT cast at Comic-Con and then life got in the way (don't ya hate it how that happens!) Also, it didn't help that I rewrote the entire first portion of this because I wasn't feeling it...anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one and thanks once again to everyone who reviews/favourites/alerts!

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters plus any recognisable dialogue and/or scenes belong to ABC...all I own is a long list of undone chores because I was too busy fangirling over the adorable antics of our favourite cast...

* * *

**Chapter Five – A Future Discussed**

"...tripped over the chicken and stepped in the bucket!"

Raucous laughter echoed around the meadow, the dwarves' low chuckles blending in with the higher-pitched giggles of Snow and Red. In the middle of it all James just shook his head, his flushed cheeks having nothing to do with the flickering warmth of the fire. Will had made good on her promise to Snow, wasting no time into launching into tales of his childhood antics once they had filled their stomachs with a good serve of warm stew, their horses tied up safely for the night and their supplies stacked neatly together.

"I would have loved to see that," Red managed to gasp out as she took deep breaths to get her laughter under control. Beside her, Snow nodded her head in agreement before gently bumping her fiancé cheekily with her shoulder, "If I'd known any of this earlier, I might have had second thoughts about agreeing to your proposal."

James shot her a look of mock indignation before dissolving into rueful laughter himself.

"And if I'd known this was the reception I'd get, I wouldn't have returned home," he said in Will's direction, shaking his head.

"Well, considering you did not even say goodbye when you left, I believe you'll just have to bear the embarrassment."

Abruptly all the laughter ceased, an uncomfortable silence descending upon the small group without warning. Willow's words had come out sharper than she had intended, the emotion behind them seeping through despite her efforts to the contrary. James had frozen in place, guilt flooding his soul as he discerned the hurt in his oldest friend's voice...but before he could speak, she uttered a low apology and fled from the clearing.

James immediately wanted to chase after her, but as was befitting her place in his life, he first turned towards Snow with a questioning glance. She was looking in the direction Will had disappeared in, concern for her newest friend creasing her brow. Upon realising that James was apparently looking to her for reassurance, she squeezed their linked hands with a comforting force.

"Go," she quietly commanded.

James graced her with a grateful smile before rising to follow his friend, his mind replaying the last few moments over and over. Her words were not untrue; the circumstances which had dictated his first departure from his home had left little time to do more than pack a few essentials while during the second, the threat of the king's promise loomed over him to an extent that he had been reluctant to stay with his mother for a longer period of time lest King George thought he was reneging on his begrudging promise to marry Abigail. However, he had left a letter with his mother to pass on to Willow...but from her words, she had either not received it or did not believe it was a suitable substitute for a farewell in person.

He had not travelled far into the woods surrounding their campground before he found Will resting against a tree trunk, head hung low and lit only by the weak moonlight filtering through the canopy. Her shoulders stiffened as he approached and he stopped a few feet behind her, unsure of what to say.

"I told myself I would not say anything; that I would just remain grateful that you were unharmed," she suddenly spoke into the silence, still stubbornly turned away from him, "Your mother explained the situation and she did pass on the letter that you wrote but I just...when you told Snow I was the closest you had to a sister, I felt elated because I have always considered you my brother and I thought that meant I deserved more of a goodbye than mere words on a page, no matter how heartfelt they were."

James let out a deep breath, feeling Willow's hurt as his own. He'd always prided himself on being honest and considerate towards every person who crossed his path, but most especially those he loved. To hear that Will believed he had done her a disservice...

"I'm sorry Will, I never meant to make you feel that way," he started, tugging at his shirtsleeves as he always did when his nerves overcame him, "The first time I left, I honestly believed I would return after a short length of time with nothing more interesting than a tale to tell. The second...the second time I had to beg the king to allow me to return here for even the merest span to explain to my mother and make my goodbyes. You were away in the next village for trade and I could not stay any longer than I already had...but know this, I never meant to belittle our relationship. You are my sister, in everything but blood and I promise I will do everything in my power to rectify the wrong I have done."

During his sincere apology, Will had turned around and was now eyeing him with a strange expression on her face...one that seemed to be part amusement, part love, part confusion and part understanding. He silently questioned her with his gaze, needing no words to convey his meaning to someone who knew him as well as he knew himself.

"I've always thought you spoke far too well to be a simple shepherd and after that little speech, I can almost see why people could believe you were actually a prince...**almost**," she finally said, the grin which followed an unspoken acceptance of his apology.

"Thank you for that ringing endorsement," he shot back, easily falling into the banter which had defined their relationship for so many years.

"You're welcome, and you don't have to worry about making it up to me...you've already done that."

"I have?" James questioned, confusion flickering through his eyes.

"Yes...you're giving me a sister-in-law after all. One who I like so much, if you ever hurt her I may just have to introduce you to my sword," Will teased as the two started to walk back towards the meadow.

"I would never hurt her, not as long as I have breath in my lungs," James started off seriously, unable to joke about even the thought of causing his beloved harm, "...but if I did, I believe Snow is more than capable of enacting revenge all on her own."

Will grinned widely at his statement...from what she had observed about his chosen bride, she had no doubt that Snow was no slouch when it came to wielding a sword, or any weapon for that matter.

"True. Then perhaps I will simply be there to cheer her on."

James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a brotherly kiss against the side of her head.

"I love you too Will."

The two emerged back into the fire-lit clearing, their body language immediately putting their friends at ease. Snow in particular had been anxious the entire time they'd been gone, a feeling which only dissipated when James retook his place beside her, his arm automatically coming up to rest across her shoulders as if he'd been doing it his entire life.

"No wounds?" Red asked with a sly smile, breaking the lingering tension hanging over them.

"Wounds?" Dopey piped up from the other side of the fire, his perpetually befuddled expression deepening.

"From the duel I'm sure they had to settle things," Red explained with a teasing lilt, prompting Will to burst out into genuine laughter.

"D..James wouldn't dare challenge me to a duel. After all, I taught him everything he knows."

"Truly?" Snow interrupted, surprised. Though already knew Will was an accomplished swordswoman (she had defeated a group of King George's knights after all), to hear that she was the source of James' skill was a scenario that had not crossed her mind.

"Truly. I learnt from the many knights who frequented my father's forge to have their swords and armour made and in turn, I taught James...mainly because I needed someone to practise on."

"She always defeated me too," James added, feeling no shame at the memories of many a practice battle when he had ended up with the point of Will's sword against his skin, "Though I have learnt many new skills from my time spent with the kingdom's knights. Perhaps I should challenge you; I might actually have a chance to win this time."

"You'll be better off saving those skills for the Queen," Grumpy interjected, the worries that had been weighing on his mind from the moment they'd spotted the Queen on the road earlier in the day prompting him to speak, "Speaking of, what are we going to do about her? I doubt she's going to let the two of you live happily ever after just because you broke her curse."

"King George as well," Will added, "From what I have heard, he spared no man in his search for you and would not hesitate to do so again in retribution for the wrong he believes you committed against him."

Though he had not exactly meant to break the levity which had marked most of the night, Grumpy's question reminded them all of the threat looming over them like an ever present shadow. Snow glanced at James; they had not yet revealed the plans they had made on the lake shore, the concern for his mother taking precedence over explaining their future intentions to their friends. But at his nod, she knew it was now time.

"No, they will not...which is exactly why we're going to ensure they no longer have the power to hurt us, or anyone else."

"How?" Red questioned, leaning forward in anticipation.

"By taking back the kingdoms...both of them."

Cries of disbelief met Snow's words, the dwarves talking all over one another in their haste to question the veracity and wisdom of her plan. She merely held up her hand in a plea for their attention, everyone falling silent to allow Snow to further explain.

"When I was forced to run from my kingdom, my home, my only thought was to save my own life and in that vein, I had no qualms about doing everything I could to find a way to flee to a safer realm and leave the problems of this one behind. However, I have come to realise that I also have a responsibility not only to myself, but to all of you and to everyone who lives under Regina's rein. Her actions over the past week have shown me that her cruelty extends beyond her vendetta against me and to that end, the only action I feel I can take to ensure the safety of everyone I love is to reclaim the throne which is rightfully mine."

Her passionate declaration resonated within each of their souls, the truth of her words sinking in deep.

"As for my part, though I was not born as heir to King George's kingdom, I have lived within its borders my entire life and care about the well-being of its inhabitants. Though I have no reservations in saying that my main motivation in removing the king from power is to ensure Snow's safety, I also do not wish to see my fellow countrymen live under the rule of a man who so ruthlessly seeks wealth and power at the expense of others."

James' words were more subdued but no less powerful than his fiancée's.

"That is a very noble goal, but do you have a plan?" Doc inquired, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Not as yet, the fate of James' mother comes first. But when the time comes, will you stand with us? We will understand if you feel you cann..."

Snow did not have a chance to finish her sentence, cut off mid-word as their friends stood up as one, synchronised in such a way that if she did not know better, she would believe they had planned earlier to do so.

They did not speak; they did not have to. Their answer to her question was clear and in that moment, with her friends around and her Charming at her side, Snow had no doubt that their plan would succeed...no matter what manner of opposition they faced.

* * *

Back and forth. Back and forth. Work-roughened hands grasped the sandpaper hard in their grip, rubbing it along the grain of the wood in a motion they had carried out a thousand times before. Flecks of wood dust fell lightly to the ground, faintly shining in the flickering light emanating from the open hearth. Gepetto enjoyed the repetitive nature of this aspect of carpentry...it allowed him time to let his mind wander though most times it did not reach much farther than the child sleeping peacefully in the small cot by his side. Tonight however, his thoughts rested with the woman in the next room. Her fever had abated only slightly, but enough that her cries had quietened and she'd lapsed into a more restful form of sleep. He knew however, that this was no indication that she was healing; on the contrary, she seemed to be worsening with every passing moment despite his efforts to ease her suffering.

Not for the first time since he had discovered her lying injured on the road, bleeding profusely from wounds to her shoulder and legs, he prayed for his oldest friend to return. Jiminy often left for weeks at a time to travel and offer his help to anyone who crossed his path. He viewed it as his penance for his sins; for his failure to act against his parents' crimes sooner. Gepetto did not hold him responsible for his part in his own parents' demise...true, when Jiminy had first confessed moments after their first meeting he had been angry and upset. But time had shown him that Jiminy's remorse was sincere and his repeated efforts to rectify his mistakes had thawed the older man's heart to the point he now considered the cricket to be his closest friend.

"What troubles you my friend? I have not seen you this saddened since the winter past when Pinocchio fell ill with fever."

The words were softly spoken but Gepetto would recognise the voice anywhere. Hope rising in his heart that his prayers had been answered, he looked up from the now smoothed wood to see Jiminy perched upon the open windowsill.

"My friend! I am glad you are here," he exclaimed quietly, ever mindful of his son's slumber, "I need your help."

Rising, he motioned to Jiminy to follow him into the next room, where his wounded guest lay amongst sweat-soaked sheets.

"Oh," the cricket cried with dismay, flitting quickly over to the bed to assess the woman's condition for himself, "Who is she?"

"I do not know. Pinocchio and I were returning from the mill on the other side of woods when we came across her lying in the road. She appears to have been attacked but by whom and for what reason I am unsure. I have sent word for the village healer but he is currently attending a very sick family two towns over and may not return before..."

Gepetto's words trailed off but Jiminy understood their meaning.

"Can you help?"

After a few moments spent contemplating the injured woman, Jiminy nodded decisively.

"I recently became acquainted with a group of dwarves who asked for my help in counselling a friend. One of them had knowledge of the healing arts and I am sure he will heed my request for his assistance. However, they reside in a nearby kingdom and just as with the village healer, I am not certain I will be able to retrieve him in time."

Gepetto nodded in acknowledgement, knowing that his unknown guest's condition was dire but felt a little more at ease knowing that his friend would do everything in his power to garner help for her as quickly as possible.

"Thank you Jiminy, I will do my best to ease her pain as much as possible until you are able to return but please hurry."

The cricket hopped up onto the window by the bed, fluttering his wings in preparation for another long journey. However, the urgency and emotion in his best friend's tone caused him to pause momentarily.

"I know you have a kind heart and would always wish for the well-being of others, but there is something more about this woman which fuels your desire for her recovery," Jiminy noted quietly, his keen eyes not missing the way Gepetto had tenderly spoken about the woman.

A beat passed before the old man sighed, "She cries out for her son, asks repeatedly if he is safe and I have no answer to give. Her devotion to him is an emotion I understand all too well."

Jiminy merely nodded.

"I will return as soon as I can," he promised, before launching himself out of the window into the cool moonlit night.

* * *

James shifted uncomfortably, trying to dislodge the rock which poked sharply into his back. After a few more moments, he managed to work the stone out from under him and settled back against the ground with a sigh. Despite his best efforts, sleep was not forthcoming on this night. Around him, his friends slept peacefully by the fading flicker of the fire, even the snores emanating from Sneezy unable to disturb their rest but he found the welcoming oblivion of slumber elusive. His mind was too full; full of thoughts of his mother and what had become of her; of what actions they would soon have to take against the Queen and King George; and of his beloved, always of his beloved. From the moment they had met she had become a permanent fixture within his mind, a constant presence who completed his soul in a way he had never imagined possible despite his belief in true love and his hope that he would one day be lucky enough to fall prey to its grasp.

A small huff caught his attention and he tilted his head to the side to catch the form of his fiancée a few feet away huddling her legs closer to her chest underneath the cape which served as her blanket. Daring to believe that she too could find no rest, he called her name softly. Her head raised towards him at the sound, her eyes shining in the dancing firelight. He was about to inquire if she was alright when a small shudder wracked her form and she pulled herself even further into a huddled mass. At the sight of her so obviously cold and uncomfortable, an idea rose in James' mind. He momentarily debated the propriety of the action he was so desperate to take, unwilling to act in any way which would impinge upon his fiancee's honour before deciding to hell with it. Their entire relationship had been anything but normal and he would not allow her to suffer a moment longer as long as it was in his power to prevent it.

As Snow watched with curious eyes, he gathered his blanket and makeshift pillow in his arms before closing the small distance between them.

"Charming?" Snow questioned softly, watching his approach with unabashed interest, "What are you doing?"

"Keeping you warm," he replied with conviction before lying down beside her and wrapping her in his loving embrace. For a moment, he held his breath. Though he believed Snow would have no issues with his presence he had long since come to realize he could never truly predict her actions. This time though, he need not have worried; Snow let out a contented sigh and burrowed herself closer towards him, resting her head against his chest as he wrapped his cape around their intertwined figures for extra warmth.

"Why did you not think of this earlier?" she asked, fingers coming up to curl into the fabric of his tunic.

"I was trying to be a gentleman," he explained with a smile, dropping a small kiss upon her hair.

"My hero," she acknowledged, before snuggling even closer to his chest, her legs tangling in between his own.

However, as they lay there James found that his thoughts started to veer unnervingly towards very un-gentlemanly places. He could not help but imagine the two of them intertwined like this upon their marriage bed without the barrier of clothes separating their bodies...on their wedding night when he would be able to show her beyond doubt the depth of his adoration. He would never act upon his desire for his Snow before they were bound in marriage but he could not help the path his mind took in fantasising about a future he so desperately hoped would materialise...after all, he was only a man; a man in love with the most beautiful woman in all the realms.

"Charming?"

He snapped his attention back to the present, a small amount of shame flushing through him at the thoughts he had entertained while his beloved was nestled in his arms and the reaction they, coupled with the nearness of her body, was starting to cause.

"Yes, my darling?"

"Tell me about our future," Snow replied, shifting her head so that her chin rested upon his chest, her loving gaze moving to capture his own.

"Our future?" he questioned, tenderly running his hands over the curve of her spine.

"Yes. When we were separated by the Queen's mirror, you told me to have faith; that our lives would not always be this way. I want to know what you see for us, if..."

"When," he interrupted, causing Snow to smile in agreement.

"_When_, we are free from those who would harm us."

James took a moment to contemplate her request. In truth, he had not had much time to dwell on his hopes for the future; so much of their relationship had been marked by immediacy, by having to deal with problem after problem with no time to simply rest and take stock. But he found it did not take him long to form an image in his mind of the life he wished to lead with his love at his side.

"I see...I see days filled with happiness and joy. I see us in a castle to call our own, with all of our friends residing within its walls. I see our wedding, when I'll pledge to all my absolute devotion to you. I see our people, happy and content; not wanting for food or shelter..."

As he spoke, Snow settled back against his chest and closed her eyes, allowing his voice to wash over her.

"I see...children," James started again, the word foreign yet welcome on his tongue, "Our children...who'll be the most loved in any kingdom, in any realm. We'll have a girl as beautiful as her mother and twice as feisty..."

"And a boy as handsome as his father and twice as charming," Snow interjected, her voice thick as she started to fall once more into slumber within the comfort of her love's arms.

"Yes, and they'll have both of us wrapped around their little fingers. But most of all, I see...I see happily ever after, our happily ever after."

There was no response from the woman in his arms, Snow having succumbed to the pull of sleep sometime during his last few words. James merely smiled and pressed another kiss against her head before closing his eyes himself, allowing thoughts of their future to carry him away into oblivion.


	6. An Announcement Heard

**A Kingdom Won**

Summary: "Let's take back the kingdom." Snow, Charming and the fight for their happy ending...a fairytale land tale.

A/N: All of you make my day, seriously! I'm so glad you're all enjoying the ride so far. Just a quick heads up: I'm going on a week-long vacation for a family birthday party (it's actually an enchanted forest-themed party and I'm going as Snow in all her puffy, feathery, wedding dress glory!), and I'm not sure how much access I'll have to the net so the next chapter may be a little slow in coming. Also, I would have had this one out earlier but the start of the Olympics has drastically cut down my writing time to make time for sports cheering (Go Aussies!)..

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters plus any recognisable dialogue and/or scenes belong to ABC...all I own is a list of OUAT character-inspired cupcake recipes I've created which I need to start baking...

* * *

**Chapter Six – An Announcement Heard**

_Snow turned uncomfortably in the rickety bed, the slowly rotting wood creaking with every movement. For a woman who had spent her entire life sleeping amongst numerous pillows upon a bed laden with the finest down quilt her kingdom's artisans could craft, the last month of nights spent in chicken coops, abandoned cottages and the cold, hard ground equated to very little sleep. She would just have to adjust though...this was her life now; no longer a princess, no longer nobility...her stepmother had seen to that. With a shudder she remembered the loud gossip thrown around the tavern they'd ducked into a few hours earlier to slake their thirst. Regina had wasted no time in spreading the tale that Snow was responsible for the king's death; in a way she had expected it (even with her stepmother ruling the kingdom, there would have been far too many questions about her sudden disappearance that needed to be explained away) but that fact had not made it any less easy to hear. To listen to people believe that she was capable of murdering her beloved father had turned her stomach...needless to say, they had not stayed long and had instead found shelter in this dilapidated cottage on the outskirts of the village. _

_A slight sigh from across the cramped room broke Snow out of her melancholy musings. From her vantage point, she could make out flashes of deep crimson; Red's cloak pulled tightly around her as if to ward off the outside world. Snow truly did not know how she would have survived the last week without her newest friend...though she would have given anything to change the circumstances which had led to Red joining her in hiding, she was glad for her company all the same. Snow doubted she would have been able to elude the Queen's men for even this long without her help and it was a debt she promised herself she would repay. Unfortunately, she knew the one thing Red desired above all else was something she could not provide nor successfully seek...after all, not even magic could raise the dead from their eternal slumber. _

_The noise from the other side of the room grew louder and Snow started as she realised what she had mistaken as a sigh was actually the sound of a sob repressed. Raising her body, she looked over to see Red's shoulders shaking, her entire form trembling from the force of the emotions she was trying to contain._

"_Red?" she inquired softly, rolling out of bed and padding across the damp floor to place a comforting hand upon her friend's heaving shoulders._

"_I'm fine," came a tear-roughened voice in reply, the words betrayed by another forceful sob as she pushed herself up to sit upon the tiny bed._

"_Oh Red," Snow sighed, wrapping her arms around the woman, running soothing hands along the soft folds of her crimson cloak. Red took deep breaths, burying her head against Snow's shoulder as she tried to bring her cries under control._

"_I keep seeing...I keep seeing flashes," she started to explain, her voice hoarse, "Of teeth and blood and screams...__**his **__screams."_

_Snow had been expecting this; Red had all but ignored the events of the night which had prompted her flight from her home...any attempt on Snow's part to bring up what had happened had been met with stony silence but she had known it would only be a matter of time before Red's grief would become too much for the woman to bear in silence._

"_It was not your fault," she stated adamantly, continuing to rub reassuring circles upon Red's back, "You didn't...we didn't know."_

"_It was my fault! I'm the one...I'm the one who killed him...I killed my Peter..."_

_Snow's heart broke at the anguish in her friend's voice but she knew this was the first step in Red's recovery...allowing herself to truly feel the grief harboured in her heart and Snow would do all she could from this point on to help her friend heal. _

"_I killed Peter," she repeated, "...just like you killed Daniel...just like you're going to kill him, your beloved Charming."_

_Snow's eyes snapped down to her friend in shock, uneasiness blossoming within her chest, disbelief at the now venomous words spewing from Red's mouth._

"_Excuse me?"_

_Red slowly turned her face towards Snow but instead of the tear-stained countenance of her closest friend, she found herself face-to-face with the wicked grin of her step-mother._

"_He's going to die at my hand, my dear Snow...and it will be all. your. fault."_

Consciousness rushed into Snow, her breath coming out in small gasps of horror. For a moment the world tilted crazily around her, panic suffusing her pounding heart as the last vestiges of her dream echoed in her ears. A dream...it was only a dream. Slowly her anxiety subsided as her senses took in the smell of dewy leaves and the sounds of morning birdsong...it faded even more as she registered the earthy aroma she had come to associate with her fiancé...the sound of his heart slowly beating beneath her ear...the feel of his warm embrace wrapped tightly around her.

Taking a few moments to calm her breathing, she raised her head from the firm chest serving as a worthy substitute for a pillow to gaze upon Charming's still-sleeping face. His brow was smoothed in his slumber, his features peaceful in a way which brought to mind the young man Will had described in her stories...the one he'd been before the intrigues of royalty had shattered his simple life. Not for the first time, Snow felt a wild rush of love and gratitude wash over her. He could so easily have given up, escaped to the safety of another realm after she had rejected him at the King's behest...the fact that he had not, that he had fought for her was...was everything.

Snaking her hand up from between their entwined forms, she tenderly stroked along the length of his cheek as remembrance of her dream came upon her again. It had felt all the more horrific as it was based in truth...her interaction with Red torn directly from the pages of her memory but twisted into a nightmare she could not shake because she feared it would prove true. She had dragged Charming into Regina's line of fire and the thought that it would lead to his death was her greatest fear. If she lost him...when Red had lost her Peter, Snow had been right alongside her as she struggled with her grief but had never been more proud of her friend as she was able to pick up the shattered remains of her heart and pour them into living a life she knew he would have wanted for her. Snow did not think she would be that strong if the worse came to pass...James was home, and to lose him would be to lose her very self. It was that emotion which had caused her to bite into that accursed apple with little hesitation; a life without her Charming would be no life at all.

"Good morning."

While she had been lost in reverie, James had awoken and was now gazing down upon her with familiar adoration in his clear blue eyes.

"Good morning," she whispered back, her worries subsiding; she did not want to waste a single moment spent in his arms with bleak thoughts. Resolved to push her concerns aside, she pressed a small kiss to the hand he had lifted to cup her cheek within its affectionate grasp.

"Did you sleep well?" he inquired, moving to brush that same hand through the curls which tumbled carelessly over her shoulders.

"I was in your arms," she started, smiling cheekily, "What do you think?"

He chuckled in response, "I think that sleeping apart from this moment will be nigh on impossible."

"Then we won't," she said simply, also unable to imagine slumbering anywhere but within his embrace...no matter how inappropriate it may seem to others.

James signalled his agreement by tilting his head down to gently brush his lips against hers. What he had meant to be a simple reaffirmation of his affections though became something far more as Snow's lips parted beneath his. Deepening the kiss, she let out a tiny hum of contentment, curling her hands around his neck to hold him as close as she dared. She could happily spend the rest of her days doing nothing more than this; his kisses addictive in a way she had never dreamed given her only previous experience had been a kiss stolen by an impertinent young prince visiting her kingdom, the exact memory lost in the haze of a childhood ended too soon.

"Ah, the lovebirds are finally awake."

Will's loud observation caused the two of them to jerk apart, Snow burying her head against James' neck with a groan of embarrassment.

"Oh, don't stop on my account...I just thought the two of you would like to partake in some breakfast before we set off but I can see you have already found something else to occupy your mouths with."

"Leave them alone Will, I think it's sweet," Red's voice chimed in as Snow and James disentangled themselves to rise to a sitting position to find all of their friends bar Grumpy and Happy sitting along the opposite side of the now snuffed-out fire, expressions ranging from embarrassment to amused disgust arranged upon their faces.

"It is sweet...there are just some things though, that a sister never wants to see her brother do and being engaged in a passionate embrace with his fiancée is one of them," Will smiled, her teasing tone breaking through any lingering sense of embarrassment.

"I'll keep that advice under advisement," James stated before pressing his lips to the side of Snow's head, "Though I make no promises."

A shiver of delight ran down Snow's spine at his words, and she searched desperately for another topic to take their friends' attention away from the heat which had suffused her pale cheeks.

"Where are Grumpy and Happy?"

Allowing the change of conversation to pass without comment Will nodded towards Sneezy, who in turn elbowed Sleepy (dozing as usual) the movement startling him awake enough to offer the loaf of bread they had been pulling pieces off of to eat to James and Snow while Doc answered the latter's question.

"They went to see if they could find any berries to add to our breakfast. They should be..."

A large crash echoed through the underbrush, the sound of twigs snapping beneath heavy footsteps coming moments before the dwarves in question ambled out from amongst the trees, dragging a young man between them.

"...any moment."

"I told you, let go of me!"

The young man struggled in their grasp, unable to break free from Grumpy's deceptively strong grip.

"What's going on?" Snow demanded, jumping to her feet with the rest of their group not far behind.

"We caught him snooping around," Grumpy responded but was unable to continue further as Will had leapt up and was now pulling the blue-eyed man free of his arms.

"Jack! Grumpy, let go of him. He's a friend," she commanded, the dwarves instantly letting go as Will checked him over for any injuries sustained as a result of Grumpy's zealousness.

"Are you alright?"

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Jack straightened and brushed the twigs and leaves off of his thick tunic, "I'm fine."

"If you're a friend, why were you sneaking around?" Grumpy grunted, suspicion clear in his eyes.

"I wasn't, I was merely trying to be quiet in case Will was sleeping," Jack explained sincerely, his words enough to calm the tension which had arisen from his sudden appearance, "I have accidently awoken her with loud noise only once before but finding myself at the end of her sword was enough to convince me to take a more gentle approach in the future."

A ripple of laughter travelled through the group as Will crossed her arms and nodded emphatically in agreement before turning to Jack with a questioning look upon her face, "What news do you bring?"

Beside her, James cleared his throat and she looked aside at him, a soft exclamation escaping her lips as she realized the rest of them were still unaware of Jack's identity.

"Sorry, my friends this is Jack. He works at a tavern in the next village over and I trade him silver for information he gleans from travellers passing through as to King George's movements...and yours," she finished, nodding her head at James.

Jack's eyes slid over towards James, taking in his leather tunic with embroidery far finer than any peasant could afford as well as the beautiful woman tucked against his side.

"So you're the prince...nice to finally meet the man who has had half the kingdom in an uproar," he grinned, hand extending outwards for James to shake. After he did, he turned to Snow, "And you must be the bandit princess who stole his heart."

"Bandit princess?" she questioned, eyes narrowing at the description.

Jack held up his hands in supplication, "I'm just repeating what I hear," he said good-naturedly, "It is good that you are here though, I believe you will want to hear the news I bring."

"Which is?" Red questioned, drawing his attention. A small blush coloured her cheeks as she realised he was eyeing her with unabashed interest and she crossed her arms defensively to ward off any further notice on his part, a move which caused Jack to emit a soft sigh and a playful wink before his expression turned serious.

"Last night a messenger from the castle visited the tavern with a proclamation he wished me to post upon the door for all to see. A proclamation announcing the official alliance of our kingdom with that of Queen Regina...an alliance which means the two kingdoms are now one, yet jointly ruled by the Queen and King George. In addition, there is to be a grand ball in one weeks' time with nobility from all over the realm invited to celebrate, how did the messenger put it, _this historic pact. _"

Snow blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing. She could not believe her step-mother would agree to any course of action which diminished her outright control of her kingdom, especially to share that power with someone like King George...though if she knew Regina, there was more to this decision than they could discern from a simple announcement.

"They must truly want you defeated."

All eyes turned towards Bashful, who almost wilted under the scrutiny before an encouraging smile from Doc bolstered his confidence enough to elaborate, "Well, that would be why they would join forces, isn't it? They must be worried about what the two of you will do now that you are together."

It was more words than Snow had ever heard Bashful speak at once but she knew he was right; Regina would know that after her most recent actions, Snow could no longer merely leave...after all, revenge (though Snow preferred to think of it as justice on her part) was something the Queen understood all too well.

"And they are right to worry, but their actions will only make our own course of action simpler."

James' words were simple yet strong, his eyes thoughtful yet determined.

"How?" Will asked.

"Because now, we only have to topple one kingdom not two," Snow answered, catching on to her fiancé's train of thought, "Before we would have had to plan differing strategies and organised ourselves to strike quick enough to win both kingdoms before the other could rally their defences, but now we can focus all our attention on one target."

"Exactly," James agreed, a proud smile crossing his face at his beloved's words.

Each member contemplated the implications of Snow's statement, hope rising within them that they might actually be able to win the battle to restore the now-allied kingdoms to those who were best-suited to rule them.

"Right, as much as I would love to stay and get to know the cute woman in the red cloak better," Jack broke into the silence, throwing another wink Red's way, "I need to get back to the tavern before the midday rush."

"Of course," Will acknowledged, reaching into the small pouch hung from her belt to extract a few silver coins but was stopped by James' hand on her arm. Looking up in question, she withdrew from the pouch empty-handed as James produced a handful of gold coins himself, placing them into Jack's disbelieving hands.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but this is far too much payment for a simple nugget of information," Jack protested, trying to hand the money back.

"No, I think it is just the right amount."

James' brooked no arguments and after a momentary stare down which had Will rolling her eyes in exasperation, Jack pocketed the money with a small grin.

"In that case, I suppose I should thank you...with this I might finally be able to purchase my heart's desire."

"More ale?" Red guessed amusedly as Jack turned to head off into the woods.

"No...a handful of magic beans from the pretty girl down at the market. I'm hoping she'll have to actually talk to me if I make a purchase," he threw over his shoulder, before disappearing with a jaunty wave.

"You have..._interesting_ friends," Happy commented after a moment had passed.

"You've met James, so I would have thought you knew that already," Will teased, ignoring the mock glare sent her way by the man in question, "But come, we must finish our breakfast if we are to set off before the sun has risen too high in the sky...that is, if our plan is still to find James' mother first..."

She trailed off at Snow's decisive nod; no matter what actions Regina was currently taking Snow meant the words she had spoken to her Charming only a day previous...family came first.

* * *

"This is unacceptable! Return it to the kitchens at once and do not come back until you are sure the cook has actually managed to create food which can be classed as edible!"

The young serving girl quailed underneath the Queen's ferocious gaze, pale hands trembling as she scooped up the plate which had been hurled against the wall with tremendous force and escaping out of the door as fast as her weakened legs could carry her.

"I cannot wait to return to my own castle," Regina muttered, running her hand over the ugly brocade table runner in disgust. Everything about this place was wrong; from the decor to the staff to what passed as food but she knew she needed to remain here for the time being to ensure that fool of a king did not have any second thoughts as to their alliance. As much as she loathed the man, she needed him for the time being...though that did not stop her from gleefully imagining various ways to cause his demise once his usefulness had run its course.

For now though, she would play the seductress...it was laughingly easy to keep George wrapped around her little finger with promises of power and wealth. Well, there would be such things...it was just a pity he would not be in a position to enjoy them once her plan was complete.

"I do not blame you dearie, this castle is positively vulgar."

Regina whirled around, hand raised in preparation to strike at the intrusion only to be faced with the twistedly grinning countenance of Rumplestiltskin leaning casually against the right-hand post of the large canopied bed.

"You," she hissed, dropping her hand. Though powerful, she felt no threat from the grotesque imp...they were far too useful to each other as antagonistic allies of sorts.

"Now, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Rumplestiltskin asked, clapping his hands together at the withering glare Regina answered him with.

"It's the way to greet annoyances," she sneered, plucking an apple out of the basket of fruit adorning the table only to hurl it in anger as bitterness burst upon her tongue with her first bite. Of all things she had to do without while residing within these castle walls, she missed the apples from her prized tree the most.

"And what have I done lately, my dear, to be labelled as such? Did I not procure for you a curse above all curses? One so powerful you traded it away for something more..._mediocre_ because you feared its consequences..."

"I feared nothing!" Regina shouted, her temper momentarily overriding her previous vow to never allow herself to show any weakness in his presence before she took a calming breath, "I merely wished to enact a punishment upon Snow White which was much more personal than the Dark Curse."

"And that turned out splendidly for you, did it not?"

His mocking words raised her ire once more but she was determined this time not to rise to his baiting tone, "And as for my label...I know you are the one who helped my step-daughter's paramour to escape the Infinite Forest."

Rumplestiltskin giggled lightly, twirling his fingertips to call the apple she had thrown against the wall towards him, allowing it to spin lazily above the palm of his hand.

"Ah yes, the imposter Prince. Such a lovely young man...so full of devotion and righteous fire. How could I not help him reach his true love?"

His gaze was challenging and Regina happily returned fire.

"Careful imp...your heart is showing and we both know what happens when you allow it too much freedom..."

Regina allowed her words to trail off, a smirk filled with malice pulling at her darkly painted lips. Oh yes, she knew all too well his weakness...perhaps his only one. An image of a huddled figure clinging to the warmth provided by a single ragged blanket amidst the cold stone walls of a dungeon momentarily appeared before Regina's eyes, accompanied by the quiet, despairing cry of a name...a plea for help which would never be heard unless Regina permitted it so.

At her words, a small flicker of anger shone in Rumplestiltskin's beady eyes, "No more than what happens when yours is allowed that same courtesy."

Now it was Regina's turn to frown, eyes sliding towards the window to prevent the spike of her emotions to clearly show themselves to her carefully watching visitor. Tense silence descended before it was broken by another loud clap of Rumplestiltskin's gnarled hands.

"Well, I merely dropped in to offer my congratulations on your new alliance...and a warning," he grinned, practically skipping until he so closely invaded the space in front of her that she could see every minute stain upon his sharpened teeth, "You would do well not to underestimate Snow White and her Prince...after all, they have the most powerful force of all on their side; the power of true love."

His sentence ended in a soft sigh, even as his gaze sharpened to the point Regina felt it was piercing her very soul, "A power so strong that perhaps the curse you so easily traded away may be the only thing to provide you with victory."

She closed her eyes, unable to stare into the darkness shining out of his any longer only to open them to empty air, no trace left of his presence except for the words lingering in her mind.

* * *

Jiminy's wings flitted despondently, failure weighing heavily upon his heart. He had flown all through the night to reach the dwarves' cabin, only to find it abandoned with a fine layer of dust which spoke of an absence of its inhabitants of at least a week. With no knowledge as to where they could have gone, he had to resign himself to returning to Gepetto with no more to offer than an apology and a shoulder to lean on when the inevitable pull of death dragged his guest into its gaping abyss.

The sun was now high in the sky, shining brightly down as he flew along the contours of the road, passing unnoticed above the occasional carriage or wagon lumbering behind whinnying horses. Lost in thought, he suddenly jerked to one side as a loud cry pierced through the midday sky. Eyes scanning below, he found himself watching in horror as the dwarves' he had been desperate to find were forced to kneel before a bevy of knights, swords drawn menacingly to point towards their unprotected throats. Beside them, Prince James, Snow White and two other women he did not yet know were suffering through similar treatment, though the Prince was bearing the brunt as he knelt protectively in front of his companions.

Unable to think, Jiminy merely reacted and dived quickly down as the apparent leader of the knights (King George's, if Jiminy recalled correctly the origin of the crest they bore upon their chests) raised his sword in an arc, preparing to swing it forcefully down upon Prince James' bowed head...


End file.
